The emergence of the parabolic satellite receiving antenna, generally referred to as a satellite dish, as a replacement for wireline or cable transmission for public and private television network broadcasts has encouraged the development of niche industries for protecting the satellite dish and for providing a more pleasing aesthetic appearance around a house. Such covers are generally constructed from rigid or flexible plastic material to protect the satellite dish from environmental elements, thereby extending the useful life of the satellite dish and preserving the appearance of the satellite dish. The covers are generally of the type that merely slip over and around the satellite dish, with the cover then secured by a rope, cord or drawstring. In many cases, the cover also extends over the receiver horn (arm) support structure, which may interfere with the transmission of satellite signals between the parabolic structure and the receiver horn (arm).
There have been many attempts to invent and improve upon the existing art so as to provide a superior satellite dish cover. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,451,972 and 5,528,253, each issued to Sharon Franklin, respectively disclose a satellite antenna dish cover. In the '972 patent, the cover is described as having a sheet of non-transparent flexible material having a circular outline with folded portions for enclosing a drawcord, cord tightening device and means for rotating and restraining the cord tightening device (spool). In the '253 patent, the cover is described as having three sections of stretchable synthetic fabric forming a conically shaped cover with means for fastening the edges of the cover to the satellite dish. Although each device performs its intended function, these covers suffer from several drawbacks. The covers require a significant amount of fabric to cover the face of the satellite dish and to provide excess material at the rear of the dish for securing the cover thereto. Furthermore, embodiments employing a drawstring or cord require additional fabric for forming the enclosure for the drawcord. In addition, these covers require additional components or elements, such as sewing of the seams for forming the enclosure and the drawcord element, among other items. Finally, the excess fabric material is susceptible to excessive movement (flapping) in high wind, and the wind may be able to physically displace the cover from the dish. The cover may also undesirably collect snow, ice, rain water, leaves or other similar environmental items.
Other covers fabricated from flexible materials include U.S. Pat. No. 6,714,167, issued to Raymond Gusick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,940,047, issued to David Pfnister, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,729,241, issued to Charles Ergen. Each of these patents disclose a cover formed of a flexible fabric, including vinyl or other durable materials. The Gusick and Pfnister patents disclose the use of a drawstring or hook and loop material for firmly securing the cover to the dish. Conversely, the Ergen patent discloses the use of lips for clipping portions of the device together. However, and similarly to the Franklin patents, these inventions suffer from many of the same drawbacks described above. Particularly with Gusick and Pfnister, the inventions require the user to bind the cover to the dish in a very tight fitting manner, thereby increasing the time necessary to install the cover onto a satellite dish.
Several patents are directed toward covers having a more rigid structure, generally constructed from either hardened plastic or metal. Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 6,191,753, issued to Mark Ellis and Jeff Geer, describes a rigid cover having two cover members attached along a seam. However, the Ellis-Geer device appears to be bulky and appears to require much physical effort to install and remove from the satellite dish. Thus, the Ellis-Geer cover seems more complicated and requires several hands for installation and removal. Another rigid structure, constructed from metal, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,125, issued to David Kelly and Michael Ryan. This patent discloses panels of metal attached to one another via a cinching mechanism. Like the Ellis-Geer device, the Kelly-Ryan device appears complex and difficult to install and remove. Furthermore, the use of metal increases the manufacturing time and costs, thus placing the device beyond the typical price point for consumers looking to improve the aesthetics of their house while also protecting the satellite dish.
A number of satellite dish covers are available via the Internet, generally copying the various aspects of the patents disclosed above, including fabric covers with drawstrings or cords, and including indicia on the viewable surface of the cover. As such, there is nothing known in the art that overcomes the deficiencies of the inventions described above, while providing an affordable and simple-to-install device for protecting a satellite dish and providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance to a house with a satellite dish. In particular, there is nothing in the art to suggest the present invention of providing a satellite dish facade having a magnet for securing the facade directly to the parabolic surface of the satellite dish, with the facade having a variety of geometries, colors and/or indicia for indicating any number of themes. As such, there is a need for such a device that has until now gone unfulfilled.